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Tuesday, June 2, 2015

I just read one of those talks that has the power to change lives! I really don't think that my voice will add much to the beauty and verity of President Uchtdorf's counsel, so I will post the passages that resonated with me the most. They are all from his recent address at the priesthood session of the April 2015 General Conference which can be found here.

"In
the late 18th century, Catherine the Great of Russia announced she
would tour the southern part of her empire, accompanied by several
foreign ambassadors. The governor of the area, Grigory Potemkin,
desperately wanted to impress these visitors. And so he went to
remarkable lengths to showcase the country’s accomplishments.

For
part of the journey, Catherine floated down the Dnieper River, proudly
pointing out to the ambassadors the thriving hamlets along the shore,
filled with industrious and happy townspeople. There was only one
problem: it was all for show. It is said that Potemkin had assembled
pasteboard facades of shops and homes. He had even positioned
busy-looking peasants to create the impression of a prosperous economy.
Once the party disappeared around the bend of the river, Potemkin’s men
packed up the fake village and rushed it downstream in preparation for
Catherine’s next pass.

Although
modern historians have questioned the truthfulness of this story, the
term “Potemkin village” has entered the world’s vocabulary. It now
refers to any attempt to make others believe we are better than we
really are."

"[If He were here], what the Savior would want to know is the condition of our heart. He
would want to know how we love and minister to those in our care, how we
show our love to our spouse and family,
and how we lighten their daily load. And the Savior would want to know
how you and I grow closer to Him and to our Heavenly Father."

"I
am here because I desire with all my heart to follow my Master, Jesus
Christ. I yearn to do all that He asks of me in this great cause. I
hunger to be edified by the Holy Spirit and hear the voice of God as He
speaks through His ordained servants. I am here to become a better man,
to be lifted by the inspiring examples of my brothers and sisters in
Christ, and to learn how to more effectively minister to those in need.

In short, I am here because I love my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ."

"Whether
your testimony is thriving and healthy or your activity in the Church
more closely resembles a Potemkin village, the good news is that you can
build on whatever strength you have. Here in the Church of Jesus Christ
you can mature spiritually and draw closer to the Savior by applying gospel principles day by day.

With
patience and persistence, even the smallest act of discipleship or the
tiniest ember of belief can become a blazing bonfire of a consecrated
life. In fact, that’s how most bonfires begin—as a simple spark."

"My beloved brothers in Christ, the God of Creation, who breathed life
into the universe, surely has the power to breathe life into you. Surely
He can make of you the genuine, spiritual being of light and truth you
desire to be."

"Artificial discipleship not only keeps us from seeing ourselves as who
we really are, but it also prevents us from truly changing through the
miracle of the Savior’s Atonement."

"The
Church is not an automobile showroom—a place to put ourselves on
display so that others can admire our spirituality, capacity, or
prosperity. It is more like a service center, where vehicles in need of
repair come for maintenance and rehabilitation.

And are we not, all of us, in need of repair, maintenance, and rehabilitation?"

“God resist[s] the proud, but give[s] grace unto the humble.”

"The greatest, most capable, most accomplished man who ever walked this
earth was also the most humble. He performed some of His most impressive
service in private moments, with only a few observers, whom He asked to
“tell no man” what He had done.15

When someone called Him “good,” He quickly deflected the compliment, insisting that only God is truly good.16
Clearly the praise of the world meant nothing to Him; His single
purpose was to serve His Father and “do always those things that please
him.”17 We would do well to follow the example of our Master."

"[I pray that we will] strive for a far greater honor: to become humble, genuine disciples of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As we do so, we will find ourselves
walking the path that leads to our best, most genuine, and noblest
selves."